The Sadness Of Mister Stark
by Whovian of a Thousand Words
Summary: After escaping from Asgardian Prison, Loki materializes on top of Stark Tower, bent on revenge. Revenge onto Tony Stark, the pitiful human who got him sent to there in the first place. But after observing a very private and emotional moment, Loki isn't sure if he wants to hurt Stark any more than he already is. **Frost/Iron if you squint & tilt your head to the left.**
1. Part One

"_The Sadness Of Mister Stark"_

There was a sound like a whip cracking and a flash of blue light on top of Stark Tower for less than a second. Loki (Norse God of Mischief, Magic, Lies and Chaos) appeared where Tony Stark (genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist) usually landed as Iron Man, then JARVIS (the snarky British-accented AI) would dismantle the suit of red and gold armor as Stark walked into his tower.

Loki threw back his head and breathed a deep sigh. So long it had been since he had taken a breath of fresh air. Being cooped up in an Asgardian prison cell was no easy feat. Nor was enduring the 10,000 years of imprisonment in which The Trickster had been sentenced to. Fed up with said sentence, Loki easily escaped Odin's best guards (rather, who used to be Odin's best guards) and teleported himself back to the Midgardian city he had tried to overthrow.

The god opened his piercing green eyes and scanned the city skyline. For such pathetic creatures as humans were, they did know how exactly to make one feel powerful. Loki now understood why Stark had chosen such a height and location. He must feel positively god-like as he stood over the city or flew over it in his suit of armor. Loki smiled to himself. He, already a god, didn't need such armor or tall buildings to know that feeling. Regardless, as The Trickster looked over the city lights and observed the humans below him, the feeling of a ruler came upon him.

He turned on his heel, black leather coat tails sweeping out regally as he did, and walked through the glass doors of Stark Tower. And when it is said that he walked _through _the doors, Loki literally walked through them. He cast a spell over himself, making every molecule in his body able to pass right through the solid glass. With a wave of his hand and a feeling like cold water had been poured on his head, Loki became quite invisible. He would have his revenge on Tony Stark. He was really the sole reason for the success of those damned Avengers:

In Stuttgart, it was only because Stark had shown up that the Captain and Agent Romanov had been able to capture Loki in the first place.

On the flying fortress, it was only because Stark was able to restart the engine that the fortress was able to stay in the air. He was also the reason that they were able to find the Tesseract due to his being a better scientist than Banner.

Before the battle began, it was only because of Stark's deduction and understanding of Loki's thinking that they were able to figure out what he was planning and locate the exact place that he would put this plan to use.

During the battle, if Stark hadn't been there to defend, they all would have perished in under hour. They couldn't have hoped to stand against the Chitauri without Stark defending them from the air. He was also the one who won the battle. Had he not placed the bomb into the portal, the city would have been destroyed and Loki would have stood victorious over all of it. Those who stood against him would have crumbled and no one would've stood in his way.

In the end, it was always Stark. Sliding his finger across the blade of one of his throwing knives, Loki let another smile cross his face. Stark would pay the price for destroying Loki's army and sending him to the Asgardian prison. Stark would pay for sending him to Hell.

Via magic, Loki located Stark in a room that wasn't supposed to exist. The Trickster willed his magic once more and ran through the Tower as fluidly as if he were the air blown from a fan. He raced through hallways and doors, jumping along the walls and ceiling to avoid hitting objects and the occasional other human. At last, Loki reached the entrance to the room that wasn't there. Seeing no real reason to use the door or bother with the security codes, Loki willed his magic yet again and passed through the wall entirely.

"_Sir, I've detected another life form that has somehow entered the room."_

Loki grit his teeth. There seemed to be no way around that damned computer, JARVIS.

"Can it, JARVIS." Stark's voice sounded from the back of the room. He turned from where he sat at a grand piano. "Lights." He muttered. Light flooded the area, revealing a long room with walls adorned with newspaper clippings, photographs, magazine covers and articles as well as several other memoirs of that nature. They all seemed to be related to Stark in some way. Loki suppressed a snort at the risk of being heard. It would figure that Stark would appeal to his own narcissisms in such a way as this. But as Loki got a closer look, he began to notice a woman. Always the same one. A shorter woman with long, curly brown hair, fair skin and blue eyes. She was always with Stark. But the man Loki saw in these pictures was younger by several years. As Loki got closer to the back of the room—to Stark himself—he began to notice how the woman and the Stark in the photographs seemed to get closer and closer, until they were nearly hanging onto one another. Other than Stark's, Loki saw another reoccurring name. 'Kimberly Ilume.'

The real Tony Stark frowned as he looked around the room. "I don't see anyone, JARVIS. You're losin' it."

"_Sir, my censors indicate—"_

"Your censors are bullshit right now. Mute." And the AI did. Stark turned back to the grand piano and the machines that were stacked on top of it. He began fiddling with the buttons and settings on the machines and tapping the microphone placed near his mouth. The tapping sound emitted from the speakers on the right side of the room. Loki grew tired of these memories and buttons. He was about to turn and kill Stark when one article caught his attention more than any other.

"Testing, testing..." Stark said into the microphone. He placed a pair of headphones over his ears and cleared his throat. "Set recording... piano only... take four."

Loki finished reading the article and turned to look at Stark. He now saw how worn the other man looked as he sat at the piano, playing the opening notes of a song. The notes on the sheet music that was handwritten on the stand built into the piano. After a few seconds of opening bars, Stark began to sing.

"_Vacation, holiday  
A strange way to save a family  
I sat beside this brother's pride  
For the last ride_

_Nosedive, hellfire  
My lifeline didn't survive  
Blind rage set the stage to say  
I'll never love again..."_

Loki looked back at the article and reread the title: "STARK PRIVATE JET CRASH." Others around it read similar things. Lines jumped out. "Young titian survives..." "...Kimberly..." "PLANE CRASH HEARTACHE" "...now copes with the death of his longtime girlfriend..." "'LIFE WITHOUT LIGHT,' SAYS STARK" "...Kimberly..." "...planned their life together..." "...'I was truly happy when we were together': Tony Stark's broken heart..." "...Kimberly..."

"_Kimberly glides  
In the arms of cactus angels  
Mayan big shots float around  
Guess this is her home now_

_You mistook me for a man who understands  
Things of godless, heartless, pitiful nature  
Hell, I just settled in for the winter_

_Four, five and seventeen  
Still struggle with the meaning  
It's a straight groove, I'm a man now  
Turned out okay, perfect somehow..."_

There was a mention of three children. Hers. Who loved and cared for Stark. But they were taken. They were taken from Stark. Given to their other, 'real' family. "STARK DEEMED UNFIT" "...unstable environment for children..." "...cannot care for himself, cannot care for three children..." "...Kimberly..." "...don't belong to him..."

"_It's a love-hate in LA-tely  
Wanna glide but in a different way today  
Drop to knee, pray deep, hope I meet my..."_

Stark stopped singing for a moment, unable to finish the line. "...Kimberly..." He left it out and moved on. "...promised her forever..." Didn't go back and fix it. Didn't retake. Moved on. "...Kimberly..."

"_Kimmy decides  
She is down for a rare reunion  
She jets a path north, past the pitiful port  
Of sandy sunny San Diego_

_All those years, out of reach  
There's Manhattan Beach now  
Ahead on the right now..."_

"WHILE STARK VACATIONED IN DEL RAY"

"THE SHOCKING OCCURRENCE"

"PICTURE PROOF"

"_Salvation, Holy day  
My heart skips, jumps beats, I see a face  
Sister God gave me and took away  
Floating off my balcony in Del Rey_

_Good, good God..."_

"...called her Kimmy..."

"...wanted to do it..."

"...says he couldn't go on..."

"BROKEN BILLIONAIRE SUICIDE SCARE"

Loki looked at Stark. Tears in his eyes. Streaming down his face. So many tears. So much pain.

"_Kimmy just smiles, wants to stay forever..."_

"STARK SUICIDE ATTEMPT"

"...Kimberly..."

"...true suffering revealed..."

"STOPPED BY A SPIRIT"

"_I'd have her but we know that's just a word  
We wish we'd never heard when we're together..."_

"...Kimmy..."

"STARK'S SANITY QUESTIONED"

"...dispute about being able to run a company..."

"...unfit for work..."

"...claims he is 'okay'..."

"_Says she must return, must return to cactus angels..."_

"STARK: 'NOTHING TO WORY ABOUT'"

"CHANGE IS MADE"

"...from suicidal to social climber..." "...cold and calculating Tony Stark..." "...heart of ice..." "...his broken heart fixed by working..." "...steel-plated heart still vulnerable..." "...keeps up appearances..." "...once faithful to one now sleeps with many..." "...can't move on..."

"ALL IS WELL?"

The piano stopped. Loki looked at Stark. The man was hunched over, crying as if he were an infant. It was almost pathetic. No, it _was _pathetic. Stark was a man. He should be strong, should he not? But instead he was sobbing over something that happened almost ten years ago.

But something else spoke in Loki's mind. "He lost the love of his life... He has a right to feel sorrow for this..."

At a crossroads, Loki contemplated his possibilities:

1) Kill Stark out of revenge and let the good-for-nothing human rot.  
2) Kill Stark out of pity and let him rejoin his lost love.  
3) Let Stark live out of revenge and let him wallow in his sorrow.

But The Trickster wasn't fond of any of those options for some reason. He thought harder and then came up with a fourth option: Let Stark live out of revenge _and_ pity to let him wallow in his sorrow and then let him kill himself later.

Loki slipped his knife back into its hiding place. He preferred that option. With one last look at the sobbing human, Loki turned on the spot and teleported away with a small pop.

Let him feel the pain. Let him feel that horror. He will recover. With time, with time... He will find happiness again. Whether it be happiness in another love or happiness in death. Loki was unsure of which would grace Stark first, but for some odd reason, he privately wished for the first.

* * *

_WOW that took longer than I thought. Those headlines and article excerpts were added last minute and to be perfectly honest, I loved the way they worked into the story. If you took notice of this, bravo. But if you didn't, here it is: Kimberly's last name is never said in the song, so I made it Ilume. One of the headlines was __"'LIFE WITHOUT LIGHT,' SAYS STARK." Ilume as in illuminate. AKA, light. See? I can be clever if I really want to be. _

_FUN FACT: I added that last paragraph right before posting. Give Loki a bit more of a good side. A bit. Not much more, but a bit more. _

_Oh and a side note: if you really were observational, you probably saw that Loki doesn't say a single word this whole story. _^_^

_Anywho. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!_

_Cheers,_

_M_

* * *

Disclaimer:

I OWN NOTHING! Except the headlines and lines from the articles I suppose. And maybe the room that doesn't exist, but if it doesn't exist I can't own it. But it does so I do. OR DO I?!

_(What the actual fuck...?)_

"Kimberly Glide" © Robert Downey, Jr.


	2. Part Two

_Wow. I got so many favorites for this story and only one review. While that is awesome, I'd like a few more reviews. This is a follow up on what happened after Loki left. Be prepared for some serious feels. Mostly Tony feels, but also Loki feels. _:)

_And so now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you part two._

* * *

PART TWO

[One Month Later]

_So... This is what you're supposed to do right? Write a note telling people why? Well, if you found this room, then you can probably already guess why. I was lonely, alright? I missed her. On the day Kimberly Ilume died, I had promised her that we'd be together forever and gave her a ring. She had said yes. A half an hour later, there was a malfunction in one of the turbines and we went down. I was the only survivor. Some people come to us, tried to help. But Kimmy... she was already gone. Lying in my arms covered in her own blood._

_I've been broken for the past ten years. Jumping from girl to girl to keep my mind off her, knowing I'll never find another one like her. Kimmy was one of a kind and I loved every part of her. I guess that's a bit of the reason why I'm such a douche-bag. Why I never want to get close to anyone. I'm afraid I'll lose them like I lost her. She was the love of my life. I knew that'd I'd never meet another person like her, so I stopped caring. I stopped caring about who I hurt and I never gave anyone a second thought._

_Pepper— I know you're going to blame yourself, but you have to know that it wasn't your fault. Like I said, I never wanted to get close to anyone again because I knew that I would lose them somehow. And I didn't want to lose you. Ever. I'm so sorry Pepps._

_Bruce— Hey man, I'm really sorry. Please don't go all giant green rage monster when you find out about this. You were an amazing friend to me and I hope I was the same to you too. Just keep doing what you always do, being a great guy and keeping everyone on their toes. In more ways than one. Don't let the Other Guy get you down. He's cool too._

_Steve— Look Capsicle. I know we had our moments, but my dad told me stories about you when I was little. And... alright, let's face it. I thought you were pretty damn cool. I dressed up like you for Halloween in third grade. Don't let this whole thing get you down, Cap. Keep your head up and look after the team for me, okay?_

_Thor— You better not start blaming yourself either, Point Break. I know how you get. You think everything's your fault. Well, for once this isn't. And I mean that in a very caring way._

_Clint— I didn't know you all that well, Hawk. Seriously. I only just realized your last name was Barton a few months ago. I thought that was your first name, no joke. Look after the Spider, huh? Keep her safe. _

_Natasha— Not that you need protection, Tasha, you can seriously pack a punch. But all jokes aside. Look after everyone else. They need it. Now more than ever. _

_And to everyone else— I'm sorry, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't live with the constant pain. The constant heartache. The constant anger at myself. Everything was all wrong and I hated myself for not protecting her. I did what I could in this life and now I can be with Kimmy again. So I guess now... for the last time... Goodbye._

—_Tony_

_PS – I'll tell Phil Coulson you guys say hi._

Pepper clutched the note in her hand, tears splashing on it and making some of the letters run. She held Tony's pale, pale hand in hers, his blood spreading over the carpet from the slash down his forearm.

* * *

"...have to report a very tragic piece of news. Billionaire Tony Stark, also known as the hero Iron Man, was found dead in Stark Tower early yesterday morning. It has been confirmed via his note that he committed suicide due to the pain of the death of his once fiancée, Kimberly Ilume, ten years ago.

"Anthony Edward Stark was born into a family of geniuses and grew to be one himself, graduating from MIT at the age of seventeen. After the passing of his parents, Stark went on to take hold of the family company as a weapons manufacturer when he turned twenty-one. Only a year and a half ago Stark was taken hostage for three months by a group of terrorists. While there, he was caught in an explosion that would've killed him, had it not been for Stark's fellow hostage, an accomplished doctor who performed a very complex surgery to install a device in Stark's chest that kept the shrapnel from entering his heart and killing him. Stark then created another device he called the 'Arc Reactor' to replace the one the doctor had put in. It was this Arc Reactor that powered the suit that Stark used to escape the terrorists. Sadly, his friend did not make it out with him. After months of work and secrets, Stark revealed to the World that he was indeed the Iron Man and when on to save many on multiple occasions using the new and improved suit of robotic armor.

"Several months ago, Stark and a group of heroes who called themselves The Avengers risked their lives to save the human race from an invasion of hostile aliens led by the psychopath and adoptive brother of one of The Avengers. Stark flew a nuclear bomb into the portal that allowed the aliens to come through and escaped the closing portal in the nick of time.

"Stark is being buried beside Kimberly Ilume in an undisclosed cemetery tomorrow morning. We have been told that anyone who wishes to pay their respects to him should do so around the Iron Man statue that was placed outside Stark Tower. It is an extremely devastating loss to the world as we mourn one of her greatest men. A hero, a teacher, a genius, and an inspiration to us all.

"Tony Stark was forty-one years old..."

* * *

_Anthony Edward Stark  
1971 – 2012  
Beloved son, friend and hero_

No one said a word as they stood around the headstone and freshly turned earth. Pepper leaned on Steve for support as she clutched a handkerchief to her face, sobbing silently. Natasha and Clint held each other close, tears welling up in his eyes as tears trickled slowly down her face. Bruce just hung his head and didn't look at anyone. Thor held his hands formally in front of him and sniffed occasionally. Everyone else had gone away by this time. Even Fury and Agent Hill.

The Avengers looked up as they heard footsteps. Three people were walking towards them.

The tallest was a man with brown hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes. He was dressed in dark pants, a black wool coat and a graphic shirt poking out from under that. A Black Sabbath shirt. The Captain was reminded very strongly of Tony's Black Sabbath shirt. The second, a girl, had brown hair and glasses over her own blue eyes. She was wearing black skinny jeans, a dark sweater and a scarf. Third, the shortest, was a boy who also was probably the youngest. He, ironically, was wearing an Iron Man shirt under his black coat. He too had bright blue eyes. He swished his head to the side every once and a while to clear his mop of black hair from his face.

"Hi there." The man said. "I'm Marcus. These are my siblings, Jenna and Andrew. We're... We're Kimberly's children."

Bruce nodded stiffly. "You're the ones from the song." At their looks of confusion, he added, "To... He wrote a song about the crash, before he... he..." Bruce cleared his throat. "Anyway, he mentioned three children, aged four, five and seventeen that despite what had happened, turned out perfect."

Marcus smiled and dipped his head to hide a light blush. "That means a lot..." He said. He looked around the cemetery. "Well..." he said in an effort to start a conversation, "I would've liked to have met the Avengers under better circumstances." Clint couldn't help but crack a humorless smile.

"I will be honest," Jenna said carefully, "Andy and I don't have much memory of Tony. We... We were so young, you see." _She's the spitting image of her mother,_ Natasha thought. Andrew only nodded and moved his hands about in various symbols. Realization dawned on the Avengers. Andrew was a mute. He was using American Sign Language. Jenna put her arm around her younger brother. "Andy said that Marcus would know Tony best."

"Do you mind if I say a few words?" Marcus asked. No one minded. The Ilume children joined the heroes around the grave and bowed their heads. "Hey Tony." Marcus began. "I uh... Wow. I thought you were invincible. I mean, you were like the dad I always wanted. Because it didn't matter what crap I went through at school or work or anywhere; you could always make me smile. I thought of you as a superhero even before Iron Man. I guess because of that, I never really thought you could get hurt, much less... much less die." His voice cracked, but he cleared his throat and continued. "You and Mom were so close and I know how much it tore you up when she died. I wish that the courts had ruled for you to keep Jen, Andy and me. I wish that..." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "...I wish that we had been together longer, Tony. You were one of my best friends."

Jenna stepped in, seeing that her brother was having difficulties. "I agree, Tony." She said, tears running like waterfalls but her voice kept steady. "I don't remember much of you; I was only five. But from what I do remember, you were always there for all of us, no matter what. And you made Mom smile. I remember that, too."

Andrew signed a brief sentence.

"What did he say?" Clint asked gruffly.

"'I wish I knew you better.'" Marcus said, his resolve breaking completely. He put his hand against his eyes to no one could see the tears. Jenna wrapped her arms around him and Andrew, drawing them both closer.

Silence lapsed again. Pepper and Steve were the first to go. Followed by Thor. Then Natasha, then Clint a few seconds after. A few minutes passed and the Ilume children left as well after saying hello to their mother, who was right next to Tony.

Bruce stayed. He stood in front of the headstone and stared at it for a while. "I wish we could've had more time, Tony." He whispered. He opened his mouth to say more, but couldn't. He walked out of the cemetery just as rain began to fall.

Several minutes passed.

Then a figure walked into the cemetery. A tall man with piercing green eyes. He was dressed in a black suit and tie with a white button up shirt. A green, gold and black scarf was draped over his shoulders. His golden cane with the blue jewel on top clinked each time it hit the pavement. He walked through the downpour and stood before the headstone. After considering the stone for several minutes, he waved his hand. A wreath of white lilies appeared in front of it, leaning against the stone.

"Believe it or not, Stark, I had hoped that you would find your way again." Loki whispered. "But maybe I should have killed you then, saved all this pain of suicide. Maybe I should have... However, maybe I was right to leave you be. You sought your own justice." Loki shrugged to himself. "I cannot say which I would do, would I be able to do it again. Either way, you would die and I would be left in the position I am currently in."

He looked around at the rain that danced off the headstones and carved rivers into the soft earth. "Truthfully, because you are dead, I am unsure of what to do now. Killing you was my motive for escape from prison. And now that my motive is lost, I am purposeless." He uttered a dark laugh. "Rather morbid, is it not? But I have come to realize that I serve no better role in this universe than to cause mayhem, only to have it stomped out by whatever hero protects that realm. I suppose you could call it a curse. Doomed to live as the one who shall never win; the one who is wrong in every manner."

Loki's eyes seemed to soften now as he looked at Stark's grave. "I watched you in your last month; observed you. Once, I believe you caught a glimpse of me. I stood on your deck and my spell wavered as Thor entered Midgard. You saw me in the mirror and as you turned, I let my invisibility resume at full power. Perhaps you thought it only a trick of the light. But regardless, I was there. If you could respond, I am nearly positive you would ask why I did not stop you from taking your own life." Once again, Loki shrugged. "You needed to seek your own justice for your illogical guilt. And even so, would you really listen to me? I, who threw you off a building and tried to rule your planet? I do not believe so, Stark."

"As strange as it may sound, I now hope that you are happy where you are now." Loki rolled his eyes. "Your constant self-loathing and crying in the final month were enough to drive a god insane. So where ever you may be at this moment, Stark, again I say that I hope you are happy now..." A shadow seemed to pass over the god's features. "...Because I know that I am not."

Loki turned and blinked in mild surprise. A boy of no more than fourteen stood there, two small, pathetic looking flowers in hand. But Loki remembered the boy. "You are Andrew Ilume, the mute, second son of Kimberly, are you not?" He said, his green eyes fixed on the boy's blue, fear-filled ones. "No need to be frightened, child. I have no intention of harming you." The boy didn't move. "To be honest, I find you foolish." Loki said, stepping slowly closer. "Coming back here on your own when you are unable to speak. Very dangerous."

His eyes flicked to the flowers. "However. I also find you to be quite... different." He now stood directly in front of the boy and waved his hand over the flowers. "You barely knew Mr Stark, and yet you mourn him more than all the others." The boy's jaw dropped and eyes widened in awe as he watched the two dandelions in his hand transform into two white roses. He looked up at Loki. "Do not speak of you having met me here today, Andrew Ilume." The boy fixed him with a glare at the expression.

"Stark and I were not on the same side, Andrew." Loki said, his cane glowing. "It was I, Loki—God of Mischief, Magic, Lies and Chaos—whom the Avengers fought in the battle for this world." The boy's fear now caused him to tremble. "It was I who caused the deaths of so many of your fellow humans. I who caused the destruction of this city." Loki let his tone become less intimidating. "But I have done much thinking in the months since that battle, Andrew. And I have come to realize that I am cursed as the one who is always to be defeated in the end. I am never to win if I continue my ways." He raised his cane over the boy's head. "That is why I am doing all in my power to redeem myself in my own eyes. I will never be in the eyes of those I have wronged, but I may try." The cane began to glow brighter. "So I shall start my path for forgiveness, Andrew Ilume, with you." Loki touched the cane to the boy's head and allowed his energy to flow through the human. When he lifted his staff, Andrew swayed where he stood. Loki bent down, and caught the boy as he fell in a cold faint. His staff had become its full length and his full armor was on, helmet and all.

Loki looked up as he felt the presence of the other two children of Kimberly approaching. He laid Andrew on the ground and stood, staff in hand, before disappearing completely. The rain slowly stopped and Loki stayed in the shadows of the oak tree several feet away. Marcus and Jenna reached their brother and called out to him, attempting to rouse him. The boy woke and rubbed his head. His sister began to speak to him in a worried tone, as did his brother. And then the boy began to speak. His siblings embraced him in pure joy, calling out happily as the clouds shifted from the sun.

Loki smiled as he noticed Andrew catch a glimpse of him amongst the trees. Golden light filtered through the leaves and reflected off of his armor. Loki placed a single slender finger to his lips, a reminder to Andrew. The boy nodded behind his sibling's backs and returned the small smile. He signed three words.

"_I forgive you."_

* * *

_I've always had a soft spot for Loki and always feel like he deserves some redemption. This part two might have ruined the story for some of you, but I wanted there to be a bit of closure. _

_So, yeah, what do you guys think? Yes? No? Review and tell me!_

_Cheers,_

_M_


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